05:42 AM
11/21/24
11/21/24
April 15, 2004
"I was pretty clear my first time out," Ellis says. "I was clear that my first time was going to be my last." The Dallas Observer takes a look at the oft-slighted US Olympic Skeleton Racing Crew.
posted by Ufez Jones to other at 08:01 PM - 1 comment
The part that really struck me was the following passage: There's another major difference between the Euros and our boys: money. Though the bobsled/skeleton season is only about three months long, the athletes train year-round. Some--like Ellis, who works in accounting for Vaughn Petroleum--are fortunate enough to have bosses who understand the travel and training demands. Others, like Mesler, aren't so fortunate. Mesler, 25, has no side gig. He survives solely on what the USOC floats him for expenses--a grand sum of approximately $1,000 per month. You could make more begging on a downtown street corner. "It could be worse," Mesler says. "Only the guys at the top of the program, the guys who are medal contenders, even get that much." It's a wonder that these guys are competitive at all. (The skeleton racers even have to buy their own equipment; that can get expensive. A good, custom-made sled costs more than two grand.) In the last Olympics, the bobsled and skeleton teams combined for six medals, which shocked everyone. Point is, despite having to deal with myriad impediments, these guys continue to progress. Especially Ellis. I'll definitely be watching the next Winter Olympics with a newfound respect for these guys.